Do you believe in the butterfly effect?

Question

Effably · Accepted Answer

My short answer is yes! I mean it is a fairly established theory.

In essence to anyone wondering Chaos Theory states that stuff that appears random can occur even in a deterministic system. The Butterfly Effect is just an effect that states that seemingly small variables within a deterministic system, such as a butterfly flapping its wings, can lead to significant and largely unforeseen consequences.

Its named the butterfly effect because in a test environment for weather-forecasts a small change no greater than the impact of a butterfly flapping its wings turned out to amount to a tornado forming or to sunny skies.

In pop culture we thank the movie, great movie by the way although careful which ending you want (sad is best), its usually chalked up to mean that small things can have great impact. Which is functionally close enough, but not really the same. Misquoted in the same way theory of relativity is.

EzraIsShy76028 · Accepted Answer

I mean yeah? Why not. Obviously it's not as literal as some people might believe, but just in general, small actions (or seemingly small actions) can have pretty big consequences, intentional or not.

Like if in traffick you made just one tiny subtle mistake by just a millisecond but that was enough for you to crash your car... the mistake was seemingly small yet the consequences are severe.

Or you're rude for 5-10 seconds to an arrogant random stranger you believe you'll never see again, and then they attack you unexpectedly later on in the day. You thought that 5-10 second interaction with that rude stranger wouldn't matter. But it did.

Not sure if these are good examples at all. But either way, the general sentiment is small things can cause big things to happen.

french_omelette · Accepted Answer

I don't understand, I believe that if a smaller event didn't happen, then a bigger one couldn't, for example if you weren't at a certain place at a certain time, then you wouldn't meet someone or do something that would eventually have a large impact on your future. I do believe that some things were meant to happen, like you were supposed to end up at that job or with that person to learn something, and if you weren't then something else couldn't happen. Is that the butterfly effect? And if so, why is it wrong?

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Yes. Think about something as simple as when you were conceived. Your father ejaculated 100 million sperm into your mother. If you father had ejaculated sooner or later or they had sex later in the day or week a different sperm out of those 100 million sperm would have fertilised that egg and a whole other person would have been conceived other than you.

Chazmatazz269 · Answer

Sort of.
It’s just another ambiguous theory for explaining things we don’t fully understand and/or don’t accept the prevailing explanations for. It’s just another way of saying “God works in mysterious ways”. It’s only superior to theological explanations in that it can be explained cross-culturally.

strateguy632 · Answer

Only in the way described in film with that title! In 2004, Not that any small thing can cause major dominoes or a bird wings can cause a wild storm!

Kaneki05 · Answer

Not if you mean I kill a butterfly and it somehow causes a tornado. That's absurd.

But the obvious effect of reaction causing another reaction is just a fact of life. Killing that butterfly may kill the spider who was going to eat it tonight.

exitseven · Answer

No, Newton's law says that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. The butterfly effect amplifies that action without adding any additional input.

OneViewpoint · Answer

I do. A random sequence of events interrupted by a time paradox would almost certainly cause a branching of outcomes somewhere down the timeline at an unpredictable point, whether there is a single timeline or a multiverse of possible timelines.

wynning · Answer

Not in the literal sense but cause and effect is a pretty standard part of logical explanations and I think it makes sense that a chain of consequences can possibly "lead" to something that's ways apart from where it all started.

Joshydavid25 · Answer

I more than believe... I saw the movie itself..

RavVid · Answer

I think small things can have large effects in a relationship. Acts of selfishness and acts of unselfishness can have a big impact. Small things that make yo classify a person as 'for now not forever'

DangerouslyCute · Answer

yes, I do... we can observe it in our lives daily

NoDecision · Answer

I thought I saw that once, but maybe it was just something in my eye.

MrChinaski · Answer

So, if Hitler wasn't born the 20th Century would have played out differently. If Stalin wasn't born then likewise. If Churchill wasn't born then who knows.

Small things can have large effects, sometimes.

SotiCoto · Answer

I'd bet the majority of people don't even understand what it means. But yes, I believe that tiny discrepancies in initial starting conditions can lead to drastically different long-term consequences.

lightbulb27 · Answer

yes, you can make a huge difference in life, your life, or others, with even the smallest of changes!

sawno · Answer

Yes I do, for part of it i can see the impact I had but its unimaginable what impact the impact had.

Maybe_Maybe_not · Answer

Are you asking from hard science perspective?

Massageman · Answer

I've heard of it, and understand it, so if we were being strictly literal in its' use, the odds are phenomenally against it occurring.

genericname85 · Answer

if you think of it as a sort of "straw that broke the camels back" thing, then yeah. otherwise no.

OddBeMe · Answer

Sure there are obvious physics of ripple effects.  Nothing supernatural. There are hypotheses like String Theory that could show a deeper connections of subatomic particles.

SkimmingDetective · Answer

It could be paraphrased as netwons 3rd law, every action has an equal and opposite reaction.. But no i don't believe it

AndrésC64 · Answer

I do, it fits with my belief that we don't have free will.

Wiredone · Answer

Yes I believe in it. A small act of kindness can have a large effect on a person's life

TheSpaceGnome · Answer

Just so you're aware, thats not a belief, its verifiable fact. Its just a way to say that cause and effect occurs.

andreasderjuengere · Answer

I do. Butterflies lay eggs. From the eggs will erupt critters that eat my garden. Ban them. Deport them. Kill them.

AngryCarl2 · Answer

Did you mean cause and effect? I believe in cause and effect. Here's an example. Cause: Financial inequality in the US. Effect: President Trump.

beefcakebradybatson · Answer

I like Bob Lind's 1967 hit,"Elusive Butterfly."

Nora2004_ · Answer

Yes every action cause things around it even if we don’t know it.

Nikki1989 · Answer

Negative!

purplepoppy · Answer

It's where the butterfly lands that matters

Dongie · Answer

Doesn't it require time travel?

Aiko_E_Lara · Answer

Yes. A character in my game's story represents that.

CubaPirate · Answer

What is that exactly

EmmaMary · Answer

@miah06  Never have and never will.

007johnwick · Answer

I believe in burterfly effect but its hard to explain. 😃

TheoreticallyGreat · Answer

I do yes. Small events can lead to a large impact.

Anonymous · Answer

No, I don't think it works that way.

ProbablyClueless · Answer

Definitely! I’ve seen it many times in my life

WhitneySnow · Answer

Yes.

red-lipstick-girl · Answer

I absolutely believe

WilliamPamer446 · Answer

Yes if course

KostasKouvalis · Answer

Very much so

WonderingManII · Answer

Nope.

Staximus · Answer

For sure

Jennz6 · Answer

Yes it works

Awantika03 · Answer

Nope

Tom567456 · Answer

In some cases

Do you believe in the butterfly effect?

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